Subscribe

More

Subscribe

Boeuf Bourguignon, or beef burgundy, is one of the most classic, well known dishes in the Western world. Everyone has a recipe for it, most famously, of course, Julia Child. It’s as simple as a French stew can get, while still having lots of complex flavors that are sure to please every palate. I suppose that all the butter doesn’t hurt, either, but hey, you’ve got to live a little, right? Besides, in the cold winter months, you need the energy to battle the elements and keep yourself warm. Boeuf Bourguignon comes from the Burgundy region of France (surprise!), which is the same region that has brought us coq au vin, and my personal favorite, escargot. It seems like Burgundy really knows how to capture the hearts of food culture in America, doesn’t it? Bravo, Burgundy, bra-vo. I made this stew this past weekend, when it was freezing outside and we were about to go out to a bar. I knew we were going to need something hearty to even get us out the door, and I think that this definitely did the trick.

Your ingredients. Notice Kramer helping in the background.

Cut your beef into bite sized pieces.

Coat it in your flour, salt, and pepper.

Then brown on all sides with 3 tablespoons of butter.

When browned, transfer to another plate and set aside. Be sure to do this in batches so that the beef actually browns instead of just steams (which turns it a scary grey color).

Quarter your mushrooms.

Add another 3 tablespoons of butter to your pot and brown your mushrooms over medium heat, then remove from the pot and set aside.

Add in your beef stock and whisk in 2 tablespoons of flour.

Chop up your carrots, potatoes, and shallots.

And add them to your pot along with the beef, mushrooms, and red wine.

Tie your herbs together and throw those in, too.

Stir to combine. Make sure you’re using a decent quality bottle of wine, otherwise that purple color will only become more vibrant, and nobody wants to eat purple stew. I learned this the hard way a few years ago…damn you Two Buck Chuck! Cover and cook at 300 degrees F for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F. Cut your beef into bite-sized pieces, then toss with 3 tablespoons of flour, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper. I found it easiest to do this by putting everything in a sealable bag and shaking it up, but obviously this isn't the most eco-friendly method, so using a bowl and tossing with your hands works well, too. Heat 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat. When the butter is sizzling, add in the beef in batches, cooking for 2-3 minutes, until browned on all sides. Remove the beef to a plate and set aside.

Add another 3 tablespoons of butter to the pan and reduce the heat to medium. Add in the mushrooms, cooking them in batches, until they have browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to the same plate as the beef and set aside.

Add in your 2½ cups of beef stock to deglaze the pan over medium heat and scrape up any browned bits, then add in 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour and whisk until smooth (or mostly smooth, I still had a few small clumps that wouldn't break down initially, but they went away during the cooking time, so it doesn't need to be perfect). Add the beef, mushrooms, shallots, potatoes, and red wine to the pot and stir to combine. Tie together your rosemary and thyme (if you don't have any string or twine, you can just place them on top of everything) and add it to the pot. Cover your pot and place it in the oven for 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Taste, adjust seasonings as needed, and serve with a big piece of crusty bread.

department store windows and the tree and rockefeller center are the 2 best–start at Macy’s on 34th and 7th, walk N to 38 and West until you get to Lord and Taylor, then go north toward rockefeller plaza (5th ave at 50th) to see the tree and saks fifth avenue, keep walking north and you’ll see a ton of other stores–tiffany, burberry, henri bendel, bergdorf goodman, the plaza hotel, and fao schwarz.
If you still have energy, cross East to 60th and madison to see barneys and then to lexington/3rd to see Bloomingdales. Diagonally across from Bloomies is Dylan’s candy bar–yum!! a great treat to end your miles of walking!
If you want a show, go to tkts (in times square and stand on line for discount tickets to lots of shows) of course, the most holiday-one is the radio city christmas spectacular

Yum! A few years back, my good friend and I made Julia Child’s version, with her 4 children running underfoot, snowed in on a freezing Minnesota day. While the husbands kept the kids entertained with a fire, she and I worked our tails off most of the day, doing the hundred or so steps – it was delicious! But this version looks a little more do-able. Can’t wait to try it!

We’ll have to try your recipe! We did Julia’s for my birthday a few years ago and it was delicious and sentimental, but damn it took a long time! This looks like the perfect thing for a couple of pierced, tattooed, nerdy, artist/musicians to eat on Christmas Eve or Day: relatively fast, easy, hot, and tasty!

Sydney, I just have to tell you that this recipe has found a permanent place in our family’s meal rotation. I make it every third week, on nights that our kids have sports. I prep it in the morning, following your instructions exactly, all the way through deglazing the pan, but then I put it in the crock pot on low for 7 hours instead of cooking it in the oven. I’ve never done it in the oven, so I’m not sure how the flavors compare, but it is superb in the crockpot, and dinner is ready when we walk in the door after practice, so I’m not too worried about it. The only issue is drooling over its aroma ALL DAY LONG. It’s simmering in the slow cooker right now, as a matter of fact, and I’m about to pour a glass of the leftover pinot noir while I wait for my husband to come home so we can devour this deliciousness.